Dracaena – the dragon plant – sits in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae, with the genus comprising of around 189 different species.
It has strappy foliage and elegant woody stems, varying in size, with stems tending to remain slender and graceful as it grows up. It is complemented by a canopy of long, thin, deep green leaves.
It’s an evergreen, Tropical shrub, with ribbon like foliage growing up to 40cm, with a reddish tinge to the margins.
They are slow-growing, around just 30cm in 3 years. So if you want to make a statement, it is worth starting with a larger, more established plant.
Dracaena benefit from bright, indirect light. If given too much sun, its leaves are at risk of being scorched.
Dragon plants prefer underwatering to overwatering, so let the top few centimetres of soil dry out. Simply test with your finger, before watering again.
Plant in free draining soil, with added grit, keeping an eye on it and water when dry.
Feed your Dracaena plant fortnightly in the Summer, using a general all purpose liquid feed at half strength.
Propagation is straightforward, via tip cuttings, all year round, but the success rate is higher in Spring and Summer, when there is more light and heat.
If your plant has multiple branches, cut any tip of the stem away from the parent plant, roughly 8cm long and above a node.
Remove a third of the lower leaves and place in a jar of water on a windowsill. Refresh the water regularly and in a few weeks roots will appear.
Simply pot on into a free draining soil and a new shoot will also appear on the parent plant, where the cutting has been taken.
